Wireless-networks include one or more radio sets, sometimes called wireless routers or access points that broadcast a signal called SSID (Service Set Identifier) or ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier). This broadcast announces to all that a wireless network exists. Unauthorized persons, colloquially called “hackers”, then may attempt to use the SSID information intercepted over the air to break into the wireless network and use the facility for their own purposes or to generate harmful traffic that may result in the paralysis of the entire network denying service to authorized users.
While there are forms of encryption that are commonly available including WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA/WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) that offer a degree of security as far as safeguarding messages from being understood by those not in possession of the encryption key, neither is effective against an unauthorized user gaining access to the network or against a denial of service attack. An intruder will be able to gain access to a network even though the network is protected with authentication if the intruder obtains the login password, pass-phrase or certificate by theft, eavesdropping or electronically (by hacking). Once an intruder obtains access, it will be possible to create attacks on the network. To ensure the security of a wireless network, the IT administrator should be able to easily learn about the existence of unauthorized access attempts by rogue users.
Heretofore the problem of the rogue client has been approached either by providing a central server with specialized probes or a server with specialized client cards that run in parallel with the cards of the regular network. Both approaches impose a high cost requirement. It would be extremely advantageous to increase the coverage of security monitoring by allowing each laptop in the network to serve as a probe into the wireless network.
Hereinafter, for convenience, the term laptop will refer to a wireless mobile device, the term PC will refer to a personal computer having a wireless card installed and the term wireless client may accordingly refer to either of the foregoing. Of course as technological improvements are made, such hardware distinctions may become moot and the terminology used herein is not intended to be limiting.